I'm severing these ties for good!

Tao Niannian shook her head desperately. "No, no, Jingcheng! Those videos are fake. Don't you believe me?"

Playing the pitiful victim had never failed Tao Niannian. Sure enough, the sight of her tears softened Tao Jingcheng's heart.

"It really wasn't you?"

"Jingcheng, we've been brother and sister for twenty years. Don't you believe me?"

Tao Jingcheng knitted his brows and bit his lip, torn by conflicting emotions.

Yan Wen folded his arms and quietly watched the two put on their touching sibling act. I knew Tao Niannian wouldn't admit it so easily. Good thing I came fully prepared.

Yan Wen stepped onto the stage again. "Well, turning back would've been a good thing, but you insist on running headfirst into a wall. In that case, I won't spare your dignity."

Yan Wen worked at the computer, then clicked into a folder containing over a dozen videos, each about two to five minutes long.

Yan Wen clapped his hands. "Which one do you want to watch?"

A man wearing glasses said, "The longest one."

A woman with golden curls nodded. "I want to see that one too. What exactly is in it?"

A gray-haired executive with a bald crown said, "Who would've thought I'd run into something like this at a banquet? I must be getting old. I don't understand you young people's world."

Everyone suggested watching the longest video, so Yan Wen obliged and clicked play.

("Li Zhaoxi, what does it matter if you've returned to the Tao Family? You'll never beat me." The speaker was Tao Niannian, with a girl standing on either side of her. The four of them were behind an artificial rock formation in the southwestern part of Shengyuan Academy. Li Zhaoxi knelt on the ground, rotten, expired egg clinging to her hair. Her uniform was covered in black liquid, probably ink.

Tao Niannian ordered the two girls to restrain Li Zhaoxi, then slapped her across the face several times, leaving clear handprints on her cheeks.

After she finished, Tao Niannian left with the two girls.)

"Fake! It's all fake!" Tao Niannian tried to charge onto the stage like a madwoman, but Tang Yun restrained her effortlessly. "Nobody called you. What are you going up there for?"

Tao Niannian struggled desperately. "Let go! You're all in this together! You're all trying to hurt me!"

Tang Yun looked utterly exhausted. "Don't make me grab you by the throat."

With that, Tang Yun shoved Tao Niannian back with one hand. She staggered several steps before the two Tao brothers caught her.

Tang Yun warned coldly, "I don't like being interrupted when I'm watching a show."

Tao Father said fearfully, "Rest assured, we won't let her make a sound. We promise she won't disturb you."

When the video ended, everyone looked at Tao Niannian differently. Some were disgusted, some frightened, others contemptuous.

Yan Wen asked, "Tao Niannian, you look like you have something to say?"

Tao Niannian shouted, "These videos are all fake! You doctored them! You're working with Li Zhaoxi to frame me! What did she offer you? She doesn't have any money, does she? How much did she promise each of you for a night?"

Li Zhaoxi was furious, but Yan Wen merely curled his lips slightly. "Why not find someone to authenticate them? Then you'll know whether they're fake. The Tao Family has quite a bit of influence in Weicheng. Finding someone to examine these videos shouldn't be difficult. But you really do shock me, Miss Tao. After twenty years in the Tao Family, is this all you've learned? Is sleeping together and being kept all you understand about friendship between men and women?"

Tao Niannian was struck speechless, unable to utter a word. Yan Wen wasted no more breath on her. "Then let's keep watching. The storage has worked so hard to hold all these videos. It would be a waste not to watch them."

As the videos played one after another, everyone saw what had happened. (When they went home at the end of the month, Tao Niannian deliberately lied, leaving Li Zhaoxi with no choice but to walk all the way back. During free time in PE class, Tao Niannian had people surround Li Zhaoxi and hurl basketballs at her over and over. With Tao Niannian leading the bullying, Li Zhaoxi was covered in injuries. Yet because Tao Niannian played the victim and complained, Li Zhaoxi became the vicious, ungrateful wretch the Tao Family accused her of being.)

After watching all this, Tao Mother was consumed with regret. "Xixi... I'm sorry... Mommy wronged you... Forgive me just this once. I'll make it up to you from now on..."

Li Zhaoxi shook her head wearily. "There's no need. What's done is done. There's no point in making amends. I'm severing these ties for good!"

Tao Father thought for a moment, then said, "Xixi, we know we were wrong. We wronged you. How about this? Come home with us, and your mother and I will agree to whatever compensation you want. We're family, after all. Making this too ugly won't do anyone any good."

Yan Wen wondered, What is Director Tao up to now?

Xiao Qi sat with one leg crossed over the other, swinging a little foot. "He wants to persuade Li Zhaoxi to stop here. If this blows up, the damage to the Tao Family will be enormous. They're negotiating a major deal right now, so they can't let this incident tarnish their reputation."

So that's it. Sure enough, there's no such thing as a sudden change of heart. There's always something to gain.

Li Zhaoxi looked at Tao Father as though he were a joke. "Director Tao, there's no need to play the family card now. My connection to the Tao Family ended long ago. I was a fool to leave the adoptive parents who truly loved me."

Tao Jingcheng reached toward the stage. "Xixi, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I promise I'll treat you well from now on. Will you come home with me?"

Tao Niannian clung to Tao Jingcheng's arm and sobbed. "Jingcheng, didn't you say I was the only sister you'd acknowledge? Don't you want me anymore?"

"Get away from me!" Tao Jingcheng pulled his arm free, then slapped Tao Niannian hard. "This is all because of you! If it weren't for you, how could we have treated Xixi like that?"

Tao Mother rushed over as though she wanted to tear Tao Niannian apart alive. "It's all because of you! All your fault!"

Tao Jingxing wasn't as visibly agitated, but the slight trembling of his arms betrayed his anxiety and panic.

"Xixi, give us one more chance. Let Mom, Dad, and your brothers make it up to you. Come home with us. We all know we were wrong."

Hearing those family titles, Li Zhaoxi almost laughed herself to tears. "Tao Jingxing, now you remember I'm your biological sister? When you nearly tortured me to death for Tao Niannian's sake, why didn't any of you remember that I was your own daughter, your own sister?"

"If I'd ever considered forgiving you, do you think I would've held this Family Severance Banquet?"

Tao Jingxing's eyes filled with disbelief. "Xixi, are you really going to take things this far?"

Li Zhaoxi met Tao Jingxing's gaze and said firmly, "Yes. The Tao Family wronged me first. This time, you're right. I am vicious, and I'm ruthless too."

Yan Wen dropped another bombshell. "Oh, right! I forgot to tell you. The whole banquet has been livestreamed!"

"What!" Tao Father was overwhelmed with regret. "It's over. We're completely finished!"

Tao Niannian knelt on the floor, clutching Tao Mother's hand as she pleaded, "Mom! Mom, didn't you say you'd always acknowledge me as your daughter? Don't throw me out. I'll be good to you and Dad from now on. Mom, please don't throw me out!"

Tao Mother pulled her hand away and said in anguish, "If it weren't for you, how could Xixi have cut ties with me? Tao Niannian, I felt sorry for you and brought you home from the orphanage. I never imagined you could be so vicious!"

Chaos erupted below the stage. Yan Wen and Li Zhaoxi had already stepped down, and everyone else had left the banquet, leaving only the Tao Family and the mess behind.

Outside the restaurant

Li Zhaoxi stood beneath a streetlight, her shadow stretching far behind her. "Thank you, all of you. Thank you."

Tang Yun waved a hand. "No need to thank us. It was hardly any trouble."

Gao Yuyang asked, "We meet again, senior. Do you remember me?"

"You are...?" Li Zhaoxi studied Gao Yuyang's face, then suddenly remembered. "Of course I do. You ate at my house for a whole month."

"I still remember that month. The food was so good I gained seven pounds."

Yan Wen asked, "What are you planning to do next, senior?"

Li Zhaoxi let out a long sigh, and all the hurt and injustice she had suffered seemed to dissipate with it.

"I graduate next year. I'm going to put my heart and soul into my studies. A fashion design company overseas has already called me, so I'll go abroad to pursue my career after graduation. For this last year, I want to focus on improving myself."

"Then I wish you a brilliant future and a smooth road ahead, free of worries."